Nut-lock.



C. P. DYER.

` NUT LOCK. APPLIOATIQN FILED SEPT. 2Q, 1912.

1,097,121, y Y Patentedmay'w, 1914.

I 2a 0 l UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFC.

CHARLES P. DYER, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 MARINER S.FICKETT, 0F CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

NUT-LOCK.

noemer.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES PARKER DYER, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Somerville,in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, haveinvented cert-ain Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which the following is aspecification.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in means for locking the axlenuts of vehicles to the axles thereof, and consists in mechanism bywhich the maximum number of adjustments of the nut upon the axle may beeffected by a minimum number of engaging devices for the locking means.

The mechanism and its operation will be readily understood from thedescription following, in connection with the accompanyf ing drawings,wherein Figure l is a side elevation of the improved nut upon the end ofa portion of an axle; Fig. 2 is a diametrical section of the salme; Fig.2, a transverse section of the locking lever; Fig. 3 is an elevation ofthe outer end of the nut and axle, viewed from the right in Fig. l; Fig.t is a transverse section on line @-4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the nut, with a protecting cover thereon; Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the nut with the protecting cover in section; Fig. 7 is atransverse section of the nut and cover on line 7--7, Fig. 5.

A practical aud convenient form of the embodiment of the invention isshown in the drawings and referring to the several parts illustrated bydesignating letters, A is the axle; N, the nut to be screwed upon theend thereof; H is av hole in the end of the axle with aplug P screwedinto it. The plug has a chamber in its inner end containing a spring S,and a headed pin or follower F which it surrounds. After the followerand spring are inserted in the chamber the wall at its inner end isforced over the outer Y shape of a double wedge, that is, beveledSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 26, 1912.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Serial No. 722,424.

or chamfere'd off from the longitudinal median line to each edge, asillustrated in cross-section in Fig. 2a. The inner end of the lever L ispreferably cut as illustrated, at m, in a plane at right angles to thelength of the lever, and the planes of the edges of the lever adjacentto this end, for a short distance toward its outer end, are inclinedinward or toward the central line of the lever, as at n. This forms whatmay be designated a cam-lever, so that when the plane surface m is incontact with the head of the follower F, the spring S will hold thelever in a position coincident with the axis of the axle and when thelever is tilted to one side or the other, the spring will yield andpermit one of the cam projections cZ of the lever to pass across thehead of the follower, and then press the follower against the side ofthe projection l thereby tending to force the outer end of the leverdownward until it comes to a bearing on the outer end of the nut, orupon one of the inclined surfaces n. The inclined surfaces n of thelever L will permit the outer end of the lever to tilt downward so as toengage the slots in the nut, even when it is below the surface of theouter end of the axle.

Radial slots R are cut in the end of the axle, into which the lever Lmay be tilted and at the same time into engagement with that one of thenotches or slots Gr in the outer end of the nut N, which is in line withthe slot R in the axle. The slots G are preferably made wedge-shape incross-secq tion, or Amore accurately a truncated wedge similar to theteeth of a beveled gear, so that when the lever L is tilted to aposition to engage the slots in the nut it will be guided thereto andreadily enter its inclined sides, which operation is also assisted bythe beveled edges of the outer end of the lever L. lith thisconstruction even if the. lever does not enter a slot to its full depthin the first instance, any jar to which the parts are subjected willtend to carry the lever farther into the slot by reason of theinclination of the contacting surfaces and the pressure of the springupon the cam end of the lever L. Y

dinary practical purposes, as thirty adjustments of the nut in thedirection of the axis of the axle can be made therewith for a completerotation of the nut; that is, adjustments longitudinally of the axis ofone five hundred and fortieth of an inch. If it is desired to malteliner adjustments than this, additional radial slots may be made in theend of the axle as illustrated by dotted lines R, R2, in Fig. 3, and insuch a direction that when one end of the slot R registers with a notchin the nut as shown, and the other end of that slot is in line with apartition between two slots at the other side of the nut, the slot R forexample, will overlap one of said partitions by one half of itsthickness, and the slot P2 will overlap another of said partitions byone quarter of its thickness. lV ith this construction it will be seenthat by raising the lever L from the slot at the top of the ligure, andturning the plug I) until the lever will drop into the slot R, in theaxle, it will require a rotary movement of the nut of only one half thethickness of a partition to bring the lever into position to engage aslot in the nut, and if the plug is turned until the lever L will dropinto the slot l2, itl will require a rotary movement of the nut equalonly to one quarter the thickness of the partition to place the leverover a slot in the nut. rlhus the refinement of the adjustments of thenut upon the axle may be increased without increasing the number ofslots in the outer end of the nut, the requisite being that the relativepositions of the slots in the axle shall be such that no two of themwill simultaneously register with two slots in the nut by any adjustmentof the latter.

rIhe slots It in the axle should be made deep enough to receive thelever L and permit it to engage the notches in the nut when the nut isscrewed down to the full extent pon the axle; for example, of a depthsubstantially as illustrated in Fig. 2. Y i

For the purpose of protecting the nut and locking devices from dust,moisture or casual injury, a cap or cover Ii may be placed over the endthereof and held in place by stamping a projecting nib f] in the cover,which will pass through a slot o in an annular ridge Z upon the nut, andwhen the cap is in place a slight turn thereof will carry the nibbeneath the ridge Z and secure the cap to the nut.

I claim:

l. A lock for the nut of a screw-threaded rod, consisting of a nuthaving a series of slots in its outer end extending radially to the axisthereof, a plurality of radial slots in the end of the rod, a chamberedplug in the end of the rod adapted to turn concentrically thereto, alever pivoted in the end of the plug and adapted by the adjustment ofthe plug to engage any slot in the rod and a coincident slot in the nut,and a spring in the chamber of the plug which tends constantly to holdthe lever in such engagement.

2. In a nut-lock for an axle, a nut having ay series of slots in itsouter end extending radially to the axis thereof, a cam-lever pivoted ina radial slot at the outer end of the axle and adapted to be tilted intothe slot in the axle and any slot in the nut in line therewith, whichlever at its cam end, adjacent to the pivot, is provided, upon the edgeswhich are at right angles to the plane in whiclritswings on its pivot,with surfaces inclined from that end toward the longitudinal center lineof the lever, and a spring-actuated follower to bear upon such surfaces.

3. In a nut-lock for an axle, a nut having a series of slots extendingradially to the axis thereof across its outer end, a longitudinallyadjustableplug in the end of the axle, a cam-lever pivoted in the outerend of the pluO', a diametrical slot in the end of the axle of a depthequal to the maximum longitudinal adjustment of the outer surface of thenut below the surface of the outer end of the axle, into which slot theleve-r is adapted'to be tilted and to engage the slot in the nut whichis in line with the slot in the axle, in any longitudinal adjustment ofthe plug, and a spring beneath the cam of the lever to hold the latterin its engagement with the nut.

et. In a nut-lock for an axle, a nut provided with a series of slotsextending radially to the axis thereof in its outer end, a chamberedplug longitudinally adjustable in the end of the axle and adapted toturn therein, a cam-lever pivoted in the outer end of the plug andadapted to be tilted in either direction to engage the slots in the nut,a spring in the chamber of the plug beneath the cam of the lever whichtends to hold the latter in a position coincident with the axis of theaxle and in its engagement with one of the slots in the nut.

5. In a nut-lock for an axle, a nut provided with a plurality of slotsextending radially to the axis thereof in its outer end, a plurality ofradial slots in the end of the axle located in such positions inrelation to one another that no two of such slots will simultaneouslyregister with two slots in the nut by any adjustment of the latter, anda locking lever connected at one end to the end of the axle and adaptedto be rotated in its connection therewith and to be tilted intoengagement with any slot in the axle and a slot in the nut which is inradial line with such slot in the axle.

6. In a nut-lock for a threaded member, a nut having a series of slotsextending radially of the axis thereof across its outer end, alongitudinally adjustable hollow plug in the end of the threaded member,a lever pivoted in the outer end of the plug, said threaded memloelhaving a. diametrcal slot in the end thereof into which slot the leveris adapted to be tilted to engage the slot in the nut Which s in linewith the slot in the threaded member and a spring-pressed plungerlocated in the hollow plug and adapted to bear against the pivotedlever.

CHARLES P. DYER.

Witnesses:

GLADYS MUsGRovE, EARLE W. EDWARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five ents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

